gamestalker
member
I've been archery deer hunting with my family this month, so been spending a lot of time in the field, which is always a good thing. But I ran into a couple of hunters yesterday that have been hunting / camping out there since Jan. 1. After talking for a few minutes, they shared that they were having a lot of difficulty finding any any bucks. They had some really expensive glasses too, $3K glasses actually, so I immediately considered that they might not realize they need tripods to effectively use that glass. I really felt for those fellows, they had stomped over hill and dale hoping to bump into a buck, they were very obviously wore out, and deeply discouraged.
So having been there myself before, a guide who became a close friend, saw the passion and love for hunting I had, and then shared with me the art of glassing. Back then, this was something that was little well known, and those that did employ the tripod, most wouldn't advertise this tactic. But this one single tactic changed everything I ever knew about hunting, and opened a whole new experience that has been full filling and enjoyable. So when ever I run into a hunter who is really showing heart and true love for the sport, I sometimes offer this tip, as well as a few other tricks in the bag. I guess after so many years of reaping the benefit of a privileged friendship with a guide, I think I enjoy helping others to harvest their game, than for myself.
So while talking with these gentlemen I explained to them that using a tripod would greatly improve their odds of finding deer. With a some what stubborn response, one gentleman blurted out, that if he isn't seeing deer with those $3K glasses, there aren't any deer in that spot, period! With that said, I grabbed my 10x42 Leupold's, which by all means are no where the high quality of his 15x56 Swarovski glasses, I snapped them onto to my tripod and started glassing the near by hills, well maybe 700 or 800 yards, a couple were a bit beyond my range finder. After a few minutes I spotted some doe's bedded, according to my range finder, they were about 680 yards away.
This is where I finally broke through and was able to convince them, that they needed tripods. At first, one guy said I probably already knew those deer were there, I chuckled and waved that off. Instead, I asked him to locate those same deer with his glasses, without a tripod. I allowed him the try and use my glasses as a reference point even, standing directly over my tripod and glasses. After about 10 minutes of both he and his buddy trying desperately, I managed to drive my point home. When I left their camp, they were excited and getting ready to make to 1 hour trip to town to buy tripods and adapters. I told them I'll be back out there in a couple days and hope to find them with at least one deer hanging, or at least be down a few arrows in their quivers.
Next time I see them, and I know I will, as they said they've been hunting and camping in that same spot for over a decade, I'm going to see if maybe I can drop a couple more tips on them. Like radios and ear buds to help guide each other in.
Back in the day we didn't have, nor could we afford the cost of good radios for accomplishing this. We could either get certified and licensed to operate very expensive radios that were big and heavy, or CB radio's, which were also big and heavy, and not very effective either. The other issue was that these radios back in the day would eat batteries so fast, you had to carry lots of heavy replacements. I remember wearing these large DIY battery belts made from Radio Shack stuff a few times, but that was ridiculously heavy and impractical. So what we usually used were flags.
The hunter and guide would have a bright colored piece of cloth tied to a long stick. One so the guide could more easily find the hunter in the glasses, and one so the hunter could easily find the guide through his glasses. The hunter would be looking at the guide through his glasses, while the guide gave predetermined signals with the flags.
But now days, with all the advanced technology and as inexpensive it is, just about any hunter could be outfitted with ear buds, and decent radio's for $100 or so. So with a couple tripods and radios, a couple hunting buddies could quickly be progressing to a near professional level of hunting tactics, and then maybe passing it on to some other hunter in need of help some day.
GS
So having been there myself before, a guide who became a close friend, saw the passion and love for hunting I had, and then shared with me the art of glassing. Back then, this was something that was little well known, and those that did employ the tripod, most wouldn't advertise this tactic. But this one single tactic changed everything I ever knew about hunting, and opened a whole new experience that has been full filling and enjoyable. So when ever I run into a hunter who is really showing heart and true love for the sport, I sometimes offer this tip, as well as a few other tricks in the bag. I guess after so many years of reaping the benefit of a privileged friendship with a guide, I think I enjoy helping others to harvest their game, than for myself.
So while talking with these gentlemen I explained to them that using a tripod would greatly improve their odds of finding deer. With a some what stubborn response, one gentleman blurted out, that if he isn't seeing deer with those $3K glasses, there aren't any deer in that spot, period! With that said, I grabbed my 10x42 Leupold's, which by all means are no where the high quality of his 15x56 Swarovski glasses, I snapped them onto to my tripod and started glassing the near by hills, well maybe 700 or 800 yards, a couple were a bit beyond my range finder. After a few minutes I spotted some doe's bedded, according to my range finder, they were about 680 yards away.
This is where I finally broke through and was able to convince them, that they needed tripods. At first, one guy said I probably already knew those deer were there, I chuckled and waved that off. Instead, I asked him to locate those same deer with his glasses, without a tripod. I allowed him the try and use my glasses as a reference point even, standing directly over my tripod and glasses. After about 10 minutes of both he and his buddy trying desperately, I managed to drive my point home. When I left their camp, they were excited and getting ready to make to 1 hour trip to town to buy tripods and adapters. I told them I'll be back out there in a couple days and hope to find them with at least one deer hanging, or at least be down a few arrows in their quivers.
Next time I see them, and I know I will, as they said they've been hunting and camping in that same spot for over a decade, I'm going to see if maybe I can drop a couple more tips on them. Like radios and ear buds to help guide each other in.
Back in the day we didn't have, nor could we afford the cost of good radios for accomplishing this. We could either get certified and licensed to operate very expensive radios that were big and heavy, or CB radio's, which were also big and heavy, and not very effective either. The other issue was that these radios back in the day would eat batteries so fast, you had to carry lots of heavy replacements. I remember wearing these large DIY battery belts made from Radio Shack stuff a few times, but that was ridiculously heavy and impractical. So what we usually used were flags.
The hunter and guide would have a bright colored piece of cloth tied to a long stick. One so the guide could more easily find the hunter in the glasses, and one so the hunter could easily find the guide through his glasses. The hunter would be looking at the guide through his glasses, while the guide gave predetermined signals with the flags.
But now days, with all the advanced technology and as inexpensive it is, just about any hunter could be outfitted with ear buds, and decent radio's for $100 or so. So with a couple tripods and radios, a couple hunting buddies could quickly be progressing to a near professional level of hunting tactics, and then maybe passing it on to some other hunter in need of help some day.
GS